Covered bridge to open Tuesday

Monday

Oct 21, 2013 at 6:00 AM

Projections regarding how long it would take to complete the latest round of work on the Langley Covered Bridge were off by one day.Consequently, the county icon is expected to open Tuesday, a day later than St. Joseph County Road Commission officials anticipated.

Jef Rietsma

Projections regarding how long it would take to complete the latest round of work on the Langley Covered Bridge were off by one day.Consequently, the county icon is expected to open Tuesday, a day later than St. Joseph County Road Commission officials anticipated.Chris Minger, director of operations, said general cleanup, details related to the approach signs, and an assortment of odds and ends will be tackled today in advance of Tuesday’s opening.“We tried to get it all wrapped up over a two-week period, so we apologize for the inconvenience of one more day,” he said. “If we dodge some bad weather predicted (today), we can finish up and have it back open Tuesday.” A new layer of Douglas fir pine boards has been laid on the crossing surface of the bridge, as the deck previously featured an assortment of planks no longer adhering to the second deck.Minger said about $100,000 was budgeted to cover the cost of the job, which also included replacing some cross-piece stabilizers, as well as duties that could be performed only from under the 300-foot-long bridge.The task was delayed from earlier this summer, as crews were behind on other seasonal obligations that took precedence. Minger said the work performed over the past two weeks is part of general maintenance the road commission must conduct on a regular basis. “The bridge has a two-part floor, both parts made of wood,” he said. “The bridge is at a point where its condition requires us to remove the upper layer of oak planks.” Minger said the Langley Covered Bridge averages between 1,700 and 2,000 vehicles a day.